The idea of our word this week involves giving a brief statement of the main points. To summarize is to use fewer words to encompass the whole of the message.

How on earth does this relate to our leadership, especially from a spiritual perspective?

If we were to summarize our leadership in a few words, what would we say? We need to take a few minutes and give some thought to the whole of our leadership. Could we express it in a word or two, or a sentence or two?

Would our leadership be summarized by what is referred to as “others interested” or “self interested?”

Would our leadership be summarized by a spiritual or physical focus?

Would our leadership be summarized by our past, present, or future?

In reality, the fewer words we use the more challenging it can be to summarize our leadership, especially if we are trying to be accurate.

It would certainly be worth our time to give thought to summarizing our leadership. Think Souls!

Working in a number of different countries can be extremely challenging, especially when it comes to communicating. Without a good translator it is difficult to know if the true intent of the message is understood, both ways.

The idea of translating caused me to think about leadership and how our leadership is being translated into the lives of others. Even when we speak the same language, there can be confusion when translating our leadership.

Are there times when it seems like our message is being spoken in a foreign language to those we lead?

Is it possible that the intent of the message is not clearly understood because of the way our leadership is translated?

Do we take the time to ensure our leadership is translating the proper goals in the proper channels to the proper people?

We could go on, but I think you get the idea. As we lead, let us make sure we are translating the message and the intent in ways to help others reach the goal.

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” Albert Pike

This is one of my favorite quotes. There is some powerful implication behind this thought for leadership.

We live in such a self-centered world. Our efforts and concerns tend to be primarily structured in a “what’s in it for me” mentality.

The selfish mindset is so subtly developed and so difficult to overcome. Reading the first line of this thought should motivate us to at least address the struggles of self. What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. Wow!

Think about the significance of this thought as it would relate to spiritual leadership. Our leadership will fail miserably and our legacy will be devoid of meaning unless we learn the last half of this thought.

One simple application, yet it summarizes the need for great leadership. All we do should be done for others and the world. This is what truly lasts. Think Souls!

A few months back, a visiting police offer spoke to a group of students about their role as leaders in dealing with Conflict Management and Problem Resolution.

The entire presentation was powerful and practical. The information equipped everyone to examine how to approach the various areas of life that create stress.

As an introduction to the material, he spent time showing the similarities between police officers and preachers. I have to admit, there was much here I never considered before and, yet, the truth could not be denied.

I do not intend to go through the entire list, but suffice it to say there were more than just a few. However, there was one that stood out and made a connection to leadership: “we desire to help others.”

This is not intended to address both police officers and preachers who served with wrong motives, or whose actions spoke of such. It is simply to say, the majority of those involved in either field do so because they want to help others.

Here is my question to all of us as spiritual leaders: are we leading to help others? 

One article will not be enough to share every aspect of why Paul was a great leader. However, I will at least share three of my favorite reasons today.

Passionate: Few can measure the depth of passion found in Paul. Even as a persecutor of the church, he pursued it with passion. However, he raised his level of passion when he became a defender of the faith. Read Philippians 3:4-11 to see Paul’s passion for the Lord and His cause.

Bold: The book of Acts unfolds numerous events in Paul’s journey for Christ. Boldness characterized every step in his approach to the work. He asked the church to pray for his boldness and it was demonstrated throughout his ministry.

Selfless: Paul held no concern for himself or his own comforts. He was willing to give up everything for the gospel. He was willing to become all things to all men to save some. He endured great hardship so others might learn about Jesus.

He was / is a great Bible leader. If we approached our leadership with the passion, boldness, and selflessness of Paul, we could change the world.

Expansion is the action of becoming larger or more extensive. We understand and see the use of this term in several areas.

We talk about the expansion of a program of work. We discuss the expansion of a building project. We even develop plans for the expansion of our financial investments.

Several areas may come to mind, but do we really give thought to the expansion of our leadership?

If we are not careful, we can easily fall into the “comfort zone.” We enjoy the status quo and, before we know it, we create an environment where nothing happens.

Our leadership needs to be expanded. How?

Read more material about leadership and study how to grow our leadership skills.

Spend time with successful leaders whose portfolio goes beyond our own.

Ask God to open doors and grant wisdom to help us see and make the decisions to accommodate expansion.

A few simple steps can get the ball rolling. If we are willing to step out of the rut we are in and ask for a little help, our leadership will expand to greater levels.

Kerux is the Greek word found in the New Testament translated “preacher.”

Considering the influence of all Christians as leaders, the preacher would certainly fit.

There is something interesting about the origin of the kerux and the application to our leadership today.

The word was originally associated with a public proclaimer from the king. They were the ones who authoritatively declared the king’s law. The beauty of the kerux is found in the primary task of preserving the integrity of the message.

Of course the task of one who publicly proclaims the word of our spiritual King carries the same responsibility.

My prayer is for all who choose to stand before God’s people each week to consider the serious nature of this responsibility. Please do not use this position to promote personal agendas or ride a proverbial hobby horse. Instead, preserve the integrity of the message.

There is a reason Paul was determined to know nothing among the church at Corinth other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

If we are going to change the world, we must first point people to Jesus. Think Souls!

“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.” Alfred Einstein

Similar ideas have been used by others regarding this thought. From a leadership perspective, look at both phrases and examine the breakdown of this thought.

First, not everything that counts can be counted. Far too often, leadership deals with the numbers game, the bottom-line mentality. I realize that what can be measured is important, but the value of influence, cultivating spiritual character development, or meditative prayer for a greater peace of mind cannot be measured. The significance of such activities can be life changing.

Second, not everything that can be counted counts. We may have multiplied thousands of dollars sitting in a number of investments, but what is it really worth? We may have hundreds of people sitting on the pew, but are they maturing spiritually and actively involved? We may spend countless hours reading the Bible, but do we make proper application?

Our leadership may not always be measured, but it should count for something.

I enjoy looking at Greek language of the New Testament. Last week was no exception as I was studying through the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.

In the early part of the lesson, Jesus speaks about the powerful nature of our influence, identifying His disciples as the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.”

By using these two analogies, Jesus indicates the difference we should make in the world where we live.

Jesus uses an interesting term when He says; “if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything…”

The word used here is not the usual Greek word translated as good. This word involves health, more specifically, good health.

When used in the context of the analogy and in connection to leadership, we find a powerful idea.

As leaders in the kingdom of God, if we lose our influence (tasteless salt), we lose the ability to contribute to the spiritual health and well-being of others.

When heaven is the ultimate destiny, our leadership must be good for others to reach the destination.

Epaphras is not a name that stands out when reading Scripture. Who is this man and why would he be a great Bible leader?

Epaphras is only found three times in the New Testament and two of the three in Colossians. The third location is in Philemon.

However, when we examine these three locations, we find the answer.

Epaphras was a beloved, fellow bondservant of Christ, indicating he was loved, faithful, and a devoted follower of Christ.

He is noted as a fellow prisoner in Christ, indicating he suffered persecution for the sake of Christ.

The text in Colossians 4 identifies Epaphras as one who labored earnestly (wrestled) in prayer on behalf of these Christians.

These three statements clearly indicate why he was a great Bible leader. There is also a great lesson here for leaders today.

We do not need to be well known in the brotherhood to be a great leader. We need to be faithfully devoted to Jesus, willing to suffer for our Savior, and one who is diligent in prayer on behalf of others.

It sure sounds like a great leader to me.